The Chronicles of St Mary's Series Guide
The Chronicles of St Mary's Series Guide
With comments by Jodi Taylor
THE CHRONICLES OF ST MARY’S SERIES GUIDE
We created a go-to guide to help you navigate the series and make the most of your adventure with the tea-soaked disaster magnets of St Mary’s as they hurtle their way around History.
Don’t know where to start with Jodi Taylor’s CHRONICLES OF ST MARY’S series? Never fear! We created a go-to guide to help you navigate the series and make the most of your adventure with the tea-soaked disaster magnets of St Mary’s as they hurtle their way around History.
JUST ONE DAMNED THING AFTER ANOTHER
So tell me, Dr Maxwell, if the whole of History lay before you... where would you go? What would you like to witness?
Recruited by the St Mary's Institute of Historical Research, Madeleine Maxwell discovers the historians there don't just study the past – they revisit it. But one wrong move and History will fight back – to the death. And she soon discovers it's not just History she's fighting...
Jodi Taylor says… ‘I never meant to write a bestseller. I just wanted to see if I had the mental discipline to write a book. I have to say no one was more surprised than me that the answer was yes. The only thing that surprised me more was that it did so well. I’m continually amazed that historians and physicists don’t spit on me in the streets. Although give them time.’ Buy Now
Wherever the historians go, chaos is sure to follow...
Dispatched to Victorian London to seek out Jack the Ripper, things go badly wrong when he finds the St Mary's historians first. Stalked through the fog-shrouded streets of Whitechapel, Max is soon running for her life. Again.
And that's just the start. Max finds herself in a race against time when an old enemy is intent on destroying St Mary's. An enemy willing, if necessary, to destroy History itself.
From the Hanging Gardens of Nineveh to the murder of Thomas a Becket, via an unscheduled dodo rescue mission, join the historians of St Mary's as they hurtle around History on more hilarious, hair-raising escapades
Jodi Taylor says… ‘This is the Jack the Ripper story! I frightened myself to death over this one. And it’s got dodos as well.’ Buy Now
WHEN A CHILD IS BORN – a short story
It's Christmas Day 1066 and a team from St Mary's is going to witness the coronation of William the Conqueror. Or so they think...
However, History seems to have different plans for them and when Max finds herself delivering a child in a peasant's hut, she can't help wondering what History is up to.
Jodi Taylor says…
‘Christmas was coming and the decree came down from above. “It’s Christmas, Taylor – we need a short story. Don’t just sit there.” So I didn’t. I think my publishers would like me to point out I’m not usually so obedient. Not unless electrodes are involved.’ Buy Now
History happens all around you. And, occasionally, to you.
I could have been a bomb-disposal expert, or a volunteer for the Mars mission, or a firefighter, something safe and sensible. But, no, I had to be an historian.
It began well. A successful assignment to 17th century Cambridge to meet Isaac Newton, and another to witness the historic events at The Gates of Grief. So far so good.
But then came the long-awaited jump to the Trojan War that changed everything. And for Max, nothing will ever be the same again.
With the bloody Battle of Agincourt playing out around her, Max risks everything on one last desperate gamble to save a life and learns the true meaning of a second chance.
Jodi Taylor says…
‘This one was fun. I really enjoyed writing this one. St Mary’s really goes through it. Heh heh heh.’
Question: What sort of idiot installs his mistress in his wife's house? Especially when that mistress is Cleopatra VII Thea Philopator, Queen of Egypt and the most notorious woman of her time?
Answer: Julius Caesar – poised to become King of Rome. Or as good as.
Question: At this potentially sensitive point in your political manoeuvrings, who are the last people you'd want crashing through the door, observing, recording, documenting ...?
I think we all know the answer to that one.
Jodi Taylor says…
‘This is the embarrassing one. I wrote it because I couldn’t work out how to operate the door in my offspring’s flat, so I was trapped. All day. I wrote almost the whole story in one day. Ten thousand words, people! And everyone laughed at my predicament because children today have no respect for their elders.’
Sometimes, surviving is all you have left.
From a 17th-century Frost Fair to Ancient Egypt; from Pompeii to 8th-century Scandinavia; Max and Leon are pursued up and down the timeline, playing a dangerous game of hide-and-seek, until finally they're forced to take refuge at St Mary's where a new danger awaits them.
Max's happily ever after is going to have to wait a while...
Jodi Taylor says… ‘I really didn’t think people would like this one but it’s turned out to be many people’s favourite so, like Jon Snow – I know nothing.’
CHRISTMAS PRESENT – a short story
It's Christmas Eve at St Mary's
And all through the house
Nothing is stirring...
Except for Max, Peterson and Markham, sneaking out at midnight for an assignment that is very definitely off the books.
It's ten years ago tonight that Senior Historians Bashford and Grey went missing in 12th century Jerusalem. So how did they end up in AD60 Roman Colchester?
Max has a theory. Peterson has a plan. Markham has bacon sandwiches. Colchester has Boudicca and her bloodthirsty Iceni hordes.
And then there's the giant pig ... the enraged, giant pig...
Jodi Taylor says… ‘I was a bit worried because this story was supposed to be a Christmas story and it was all about Boudicca sacking Colchester, so I tried to keep the nasty bits to a minimum. It’s the one where Bashford waves to Boudicca because, well – why wouldn’t you?’ Buy Now
A Fete Worse Than Death...
The St Mary's Institute of Historical Research has finally recovered from its wounds and it's business as usual for those rascals in the History Department.
From being trapped in the Great Fire of London to an unfortunately timed comfort break at Thermopylae, which leaves the fate of the western world hanging in the balance, Max must struggle to get History back on track.
But first, they must get through the St Mary's Fete - which is sure to end badly for everyone.
Only one thing is certain, life at St Mary's is never dull!
Jodi Taylor says… ‘I wanted St Mary’s to have an open day. The phrase “A Fete worse than death” shot into my head – trust me, there’s plenty of room – and I just had to write it.’ Buy Now
THE VERY FIRST DAMNED THING – a short story
Ever wondered how it all began?
It's two years since the final victory at the Battersea Barricades. The fighting might be finished, but for Dr Bairstow, just now setting up St Mary's, the struggle is only beginning.
How will he assemble his team?
From where will his funding come?
How can he overcome the massed ranks of the Society for the Protection of Historical Buildings?
How do stolen furniture, a practical demonstration at the Stirrup Charge at Waterloo, students' alcohol-ridden urine, a widowed urban guerrilla, a young man wearing exciting knitwear, and four naked security guards all combine to become the St Mary's of the future?
Jodi Taylor says… ‘I think I’d written more than four or five books before I wrote this prequel. I don’t know why I was suddenly overwhelmed by a need to go back to the beginning but I did. Normally my overwhelming needs involve chocolate. I always say to people – don’t read this one first. Get a couple of books under your belt first otherwise some of it might not make sense. Which assumes the rest of it does… Buy Now
To do what I do – go where I go – see what I see – it's a wonderful, unique, never-to-be-taken-for-granted privilege.
With great privilege comes great responsibility, something Max knows only too well, and as newly appointed Chief Training Officer at the St Mary's Institute of Historical Research, it's up to her to drum this guiding principle into her five new recruits.
Expect a training programme that includes Joan of Arc, an illegal mammoth, a duplicitous Father of History, a bombed rat, Stone Age hunters and Dick the Turd.
Jodi Taylor says… ‘My personal favourite. I’ve been a training officer. I’ve been in that particular hell. I’ve questioned my life choices, my sanity and the intelligence of trainees. On the other hand, there was the episode of the bombed rat.’ Buy Now
SHIPS AND STINGS AND WEDDING RINGS – a short story
It's Christmas at St Mary's and time for Max's obligatory illegal jump. On this occasion, however, they're right up against it.
A loaded gun has been left behind in Ancient Egypt and it's up to them to retrieve it before anyone accidentally blows their own head off, thus affecting the timeline for centuries to come.
And as if that's not enough, someone (Max) has inadvertently poisoned Mr Markham.
It's hot, they're running out of supplies, they can't find the gun, and it's all going horribly wrong. Again.
Jodi Taylor says… ‘This is what happened when I was bored and there wasn’t anything on TV and I was reduced to reading the small print on a can of WD40.’ Buy Now
Rules are meant to be broken, aren't they?
'I've done some stupid things in my time. I've been reckless. I've broken a few rules. But never before have I ruined so many lives or left such a trail of destruction behind me.'
Max has never been one for rules. They tend to happen to other people.
But this time she's gone too far. And everyone at St Mary's is paying the price.
With the History Department disintegrating around her and grounded until the end of time, how can she ever put things right?
Jodi Taylor says… ‘I wrote this one to avenge myself on my brother who abandoned me on top of Doward Hill because there was a cow on the horizon. It was the size of a dachshund but apparently had a nasty look in its eye. He said. I didn’t get time to argue because he was off. Normally I’d let him go but he had the car keys.’ Buy Now
THE GREAT ST MARY’S DAY OUT – a short story
Astonishingly, Dr Bairstow has declared a holiday. Even more astonishingly - he's paying for it.
Needless to say, there are strings attached. They have to record the 1601 performance of Hamlet, with Shakespeare himself in the role of the Ghost.
It doesn't go well, of course. With Dr Bairstow and Mrs Mack turning a simple visit to a street market into a public brawl, Professor Rapson inadvertently stowing away on a vessel bound for the New World, and Shakespeare himself going up in flames, it would seem that Max, of all people, is the only one actually completing the assignment.
Jodi Taylor says… ‘I challenged myself to get the words “Dr Bairstow” and “selfie” in the same sentence. Challenge accepted!’ Buy Now
MY NAME IS MARKHAM – a short story
Like a smaller and much scruffier Greta Garbo - finally - Markham speaks!
It's Christmas and time for the first (and almost certainly last) St Mary's Annual Children's Christmas Party - attendance compulsory, by order of Dr Bairstow. Discovered practising his illegal reindeer dance and poo-dropping routine, our hero, along with fellow disaster-magnets Peterson and Maxwell, is despatched to Anglo-Saxon England to discover the truth about Alfred and the cakes.
In his own words, our hero reveals Major Guthrie's six-point guide to a successful assignment and the Security Section's true opinion of the History Department. And of historians in general. And of one historian in particular.
Jodi Taylor says…
‘This is the one told by Markham himself. I wanted to give a tiny but tantalising glimpse of his background.’
Because, my dear Max, you dance on the edge of darkness ... and I don't think it would take very much for you to dance my way.
When an old enemy appears out of nowhere with an astonishing proposition for Max - a proposition that could change everything Max is tempted. Very tempted.
With an end to an old conflict finally in sight, it looks as if St Mary's problems are over with. Can they all now live happily ever after?
As everything hangs in the balance, Max and St Mary's find themselves engulfed in tragedies worse than they could ever imagine.
Is this the end?
Jodi Taylor says… ‘Ah! The dramatic one. Probably best if I don’t say any more.’ Buy Now
A PERFECT STORM – a short story
You don't have to travel through time to experience catastrophe on an epic scale, as the disaster-magnets from St Mary's are about to find out...
For Max, what starts off as a perfectly normal week is about to degenerate into a quagmire of egotistical film producers, monumental pub crawls, unsigned contracts, exploding rocks, Professor Rapson and his megaphone, the world's biggest bacon butty - and Angus - the third component of the most notorious love triangle since Menelaus, Paris and Whatshername - the one with the face they launched ships off.
A Perfect Storm of calamity, devastation and misfortune only ever encountered at St Mary's.
Jodi Taylor says… ‘Oh yes. Calvin Cutter – bless him. His one-sided telephone call to Marge, his PA, as she’s trying to have her baby in peace was so much fun to write.’ Buy Now
CHRISTMAS PAST – a short story
The First Farrell Family Christmas.
Max, Leon and Matthew - together at last for Christmas at St Mary's - a time of conspicuous consumption, riotous misbehaviour and the traditional illegal Christmas jump. And this time, it's inter-generational.
Donning her unfamiliar mother hat, Max takes Matthew back to 19th century London, where they plan to deliver a parcel of Christmas cheer to his former friends, but find themselves confronting the terrifying Old Ma Scrope in the process.
'Tis the season to be jolly.
Jodi Taylor says…‘The one where Matthew and Max take their first steps towards an understanding. The king-sized picnic they take to the starving boys was personally researched by me. I don’t think anyone realises quite how many sausages authors must force down for the sake of verisimilitude. A little more sympathy, please.’ Buy Now
AN ARGUMENTATION OF HISTORIANS
They say you shouldn't push your luck. Max gives her own luck a massive shove every day – and it's only a matter of time until luck pushes back...
January 1536 – the day of Henry VIII's infamous jousting accident. Historians from St Mary's are there in force, recording and documenting. And, arguing – obviously.
A chance meeting between Max and the Time Police leads to a plan of action to bring down Clive Ronan, once and for all.
Jodi Taylor says… ‘Well, obviously, once I discovered the collective noun for a group of historians was an argumentation, there was no holding me back. Sorry!’ Buy Now
THE BATTERSEA BARRICADES – a short story
It's not easy being a rebel.
So many new skills to assimilate.
Never mind strategic planning, weapons expertise and the like - there's bicycle-stealing, oil-stain removal and boat steering to be mastered first.
And quickly.
It's the time of the Civil Uprisings and two young women set out to make a difference.
Their only problem?
They don't know where they are.
Or where they're going.
Or what to do when they get there.
Other than that ...
Jodi Taylor says… ‘I’ve had people accusing me of being able to see the future but I swear I can’t. I made it all up. I suspect politicians are now lining up to spit on me in the streets.’ Buy Now
THE STEAM-PUMP JUMP – a short story
Not one to let being banged up in Sick Bay stop her, Max has had a brilliant idea. But she needs Markham to execute it on her behalf. The subject of this cunning plan is Peterson, struggling with another bereavement and not doing very well. What's needed to get him through it is sympathy, sensitivity, tact and understanding.
Step forward Mr Markham, for whom sympathy, sensitivity, etc., are things that happen to other people.
Combine a fanatic from R&D, a head of Security with his own problems, a steam-pump, two historians who can't even be in the same room as each other, some fractious Protestants and a large body of very dirty water.
Told in Markham's own words, this is the story of an intervention - St Mary's style.
Jodi Taylor says… ‘This is the one set in Raglan Castle which I visited with my brother. The purpose of our visit was to discover where the steam-pump was installed. There was a certain amount – actually, a huge amount – of arguing. We waved our arms and shouted. I had to remind him of all the times he’d been wrong throughout his life and it took a long time. People moved away from us. I googled it when I got home and discovered we’d both been wrong. Quite embarrassing actually.’
AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT – a short story
Here's a question for you. What's the most exciting thing ever found in a fire bucket? And don't say 'fire' because you'll be wrong.
Every Christmas, for reasons which seem good at the time – especially after an eggnog or two – Max and the others leap into the nearest pod and indulge in their illegal Christmas jump. It's a tradition. This year, however, just to be different, they find themselves part of someone else's illegal Christmas jump. It's time to don a spacesuit and bring your own urine!
Jodi Taylor says…‘I actually wanted to write this one years ago. It’s why I kept mentioning the Mars Project every now and then. And I wanted to do something completely different.’ Buy Now
You can't change History. History doesn't like it. There are always consequences.
Max is no stranger to taking matters into her own hands. Especially when she's had A Brilliant Idea. Yes, it will mean breaking a few rules, but – as Max always says – they're not her rules.
When History goes rogue, there's a St Mary's team right in the firing line and Max must step up.
You know what they say. Hope for the best. But plan for the worst.
Jodi Taylor says… ‘So I rang the offspring and said, “What do you know about sex clubs?” and was pleased/horrified/surprised/disturbed to find out he knew quite a lot. Hmm…’ Buy Now
WHEN DID YOU LAST SEE YOUR FATHER? – a short story
'Max, your father is here. He's come to take Matthew away'
Have you ever wondered what would happen if Max's husband met Max's father? What would Leon do?
They're normally a fairly amiable bunch, but this is the story of what to expect if St Mary's doesn't like someone. As in, really doesn't like someone. Warning: contains a unit-wide criminal enterprise, a great deal of illegal activity and a sad misuse of public resources. All the things a father will do to protect his family.
It is also a story of revenge. Because this is payback - St Mary's style.
Jodi Taylor says… ‘This is the one that kept me up all night, writing. It was quite a job devising a solution in which no one died and nothing caught fire – St Mary’s usual method of conflict resolution.’ Buy Now
WHY IS NOTHING EVER SIMPLE? – a short story
It's Christmas at St Mary's and time for the traditional illicit jump. Except this one is perfectly legal. It's Major Guthrie's last jump. To the Battle of Bannockburn, no less. An important moment in History for two nations - one that warrants everyone's full attention.
But Max soon finds herself grappling with a near-lethal game of pooh sticks, another avian incursion and two turbulent teenagers’ intent on piloting their own illegal jump. And that's all before they even get near fourteenth-century Scotland.
For this is St Mary's and nothing is ever simple . . .
Jodi Taylor says… Well, this one didn’t turn out at all as I intended. It’s a bit embarrassing to admit I have no control over my writing – or even my entire life – but this one swerved off in completely unexpected directions. I suspect I’ve stored up all sorts of problems for myself in the future. Although that might be the official definition of a writer. Buy Now
I would have trusted this man with my life. Until a couple of days ago, anyway.
You know what they say - hope for the best, but plan for the worst.
Max is quite accustomed to everything going wrong. She's St Mary's, after all. Disaster is her default state. But with her family reunited and a jump to Bronze Age Crete in the works, life is getting back to normal. Well, normal for St Mary's.
And then, following one fateful night at the Tower of London, everything Max thought she knew comes crashing down around her.
Too late for plans. The worst has happened. And who can Max trust now?
Jodi Taylor says: Oh yes! The Big Reveal! I spent ages fretting about this one. Had I let the cat out of the bag too soon? Was the reveal as big as I thought it would be? Had I really jumped the shark on this one? Fortunately, everyone seemed to enjoy the WOW moment. Hope you do too. Buy Now
THE ORDEAL OF THE HAUNTED ROOM - short story
Where better for the annual festive jump than the chance to experience a real Victorian Christmas?
On the longest night of 1895, a terrible storm rages above Harewood Hall. Max, Markham and an injured Peterson are welcomed in by the Harewood family, but soon realise that, in true St Mary's style, they couldn't have arrived at a better moment. For tonight marks the Ordeal of the Haunted Room. Dum ... dum ... dum ...
Every Harewood heir must endure one terrifying night alone in the Haunted Room before he can inherit the family seat. Legend says that a ghost will murder anyone who isn't the true successor.
Henry Harewood's ordeal will begin at midnight and end at dawn, but it isn't long before everything goes horribly wrong...
Jodi Taylor says: This one was fun. Really, really fun to write. I thought I’d write a ghost story. But it turned into a detective story half way through. I spent ages researching the possibility of murdering someone by … well, read it and find out. If anything every happens to me – and it will – this was when I instructed my family to step over my lifeless body and delete my browser history before doing anything else. Buy Now
'It's time, Max.' And so, a whole new chapter opens up...
It's long been known that if a thing can go wrong, it will. With knobs on, usually. Disasters start to pile up. A new colleague with no respect for the past and a great deal to prove. Historians lost in time. And - worst of all - Rosie Lee on her very first jump. Then there's the small matter of Max's dishonourable discharge.
From Tudor England to the Tower of Babel - it's all going horribly wrong.
Jobless and homeless, Max receives an offer she can't refuse. Another time, another place. A refuge, perhaps. She's got that wrong, too.
Jodi Taylor says: I’ve been wanting to get Rosie Lee and Max together on a jump for a very long time now and this was the ideal opportunity. My feeling was either they’d turn out to be some sort of dream team or they’d kill each other in the first ten minutes. One of the two …
THE TOAST OF TIME - short story
Once again, the Toast of Time falls butter side down. Dr 'Max' Maxwell prepares for her very first Christmas away from St Mary's...
It's that most wonderful time of the year once more. But Max and Markham are a long way from St Mary's. What sort of Christmas will it be without their loved ones?
Settle down with a mince pie and a small sherry and prepare for an unlikely combination of Flying Auctions, Fabergé eggs, duped Time Police officers, the Parish Council, a TWOCed Bentley (no, not that one), legendary swords and a belligerent ram.
Will it be Peace and Goodwill to all men? Well, we all know the answer to that...
Jodi Taylor says: One of my favourite short stories. The missing historical artefacts were particularly fascinating to research and I disappeared down several rabbit holes for several afternoons.
Warning to sensitive readers – do not read this story unless you really really want to know where Markham kept the famous sword or Roland.
Oh – and for the particularly sensitive – yes, there is naked gardening. Buy Now
Finally - finally! - Max has that nice office job she's always wanted. The one with no heavy lifting and no one tries to kill her. Well, one out of two's not bad...
Punching well above their weight, Max and Markham set out to bring down a sinister organisation founded in the future - with a suspicious focus on the past.
Max's focus is staying alive long enough to reunite with Leon and Matthew, alternately helped and hindered by St Mary's. Who aren't always the blessing they like to think they are.
But non-stop leaping around the timeline - from witnessing Magna Carta to disturbing a certain young man with a penchant for gunpowder - is beginning to take its toll. Is Max going mad? Or are the ghosts of the past finally catching up with her?
Jodi Taylor says: Ah – the famous controversy over the title. Should it be catastrophe or catastrophes? There was surprisingly heated debate. Which, obviously, I, as a well-behaved author, did not foster in any way. I was on the winning side, though! Buy Now
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE HISTORY
St Mary's is under investigation. Their director has been shot and Max is Number One Suspect. Can things get any worse? We all know the answer to that one.
Max needs to get away - fast - and a Brilliant Idea soon leads her to a full-scale uprising in twentieth-century China. If she can come by a historical treasure or two in the process, even better. That is, if she makes it out alive.
Then there's the small matter of Insight - the sinister organisation from the future hell bent on changing History for their own dark ends. Having successfully infiltrated their ranks, Max is perfectly placed to stop them. But she knows her cover will soon be blown - because it's already happened.
Can Max take down Insight before they come after her? The circle is closing, and only one can survive...
Jodi Taylor says: This is the one I didn’t win. I wanted a different title. I argued. I persuaded. I flounced. I sulked. I lost.
And it was a difficult book to write. There were so many loose ends to tie up without in any way giving the impression this was the last book. It was my editor’s suggestion I finish with the words ‘NOT THE END’ – which put many readers’ minds at rest. So go ahead and enjoy – it’s not the last St Mary’s book. Buy Now
St Mary's has never lacked for enemies, but danger has never been closer to home. A state of war has broken out between St Mary's and the Women's Institute - the Raffia Mafia.
Markham, Max, Peterson and Miss Sykes must jump to Restoration London in search of real Christmas pie - the honour of St Mary's is at stake.
At least that how it all begins, but this is St Mary's after all...
Jodi Taylor writes: This is another story told by Markham, and, as usual with him, it weaves all over the place and ends up being about something completely different. I set myself a challenge with this one – how many St Mary’s titles could I incorporate into the story? Answer – a lot. And I enjoyed myself with a lot of baking puns as well. Buy Now
LIGHTS! CAMERA! MAYHEM! - a short story
It's drama, darling! In this year's festive tale, the nation's favourite film producer, Calvin Cutter, returns to darken the doors of St Mary's once again...
Coming to a screen near you...
TEMPORA, THE TIME TRAVELLING TOURIST
Starring Astrid Gustafsson as Helen of Troy - 'the face that launched a thousand ships' (Homer)
With Dirk Thrust as Achilles - 'demi god and hero' (Homer)
And the Wooden Horse as Himself - 'easily the least wooden performance from anyone participating in this particular travesty' (Dr Maxwell)
Watch and weep as this epic tale unfolds...
Jodi Taylor says: I’m still writing this one so there’s no blurb or cover available at the moment. I shall simply say that Calvin Cutter is back. It follows, therefore, that at no point in this story does credibility occur. I’m sorry if anyone wanted gritty realism. Sometimes I just can’t help myself.
Psst! If you like your short stories all in one place, then these three collections are perfect for you:
These auidobooks are amazing, I have listened to quite a few of them and they are fun. I love the characters and the storylines are brilliant.
Since you never intended to publish a book, you must be astonished at the size of this list! However, I've read them all and need more. :)